The Removal of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds and Pharmaceuticals from Membrane Bioreactor Effluent by Membrane Filtration

This study examined the rejection of twenty-two endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and pharmaceutically active compounds (PhAC) from membrane bioreactor effluent and laboratory-grade water (Milli-Q®) by ‘loose’ and ‘tight’ nanofiltration (NF) membranes as well as a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane. Rejection by the ‘tight’ NF membrane was found to be most strongly correlated with individual compound log Kow values and water solubility, with the more hydrophobic compounds showing higher rejection. The RO membrane provided efficient EDC and PhAC removal (>90%). Conversely, in general, the ‘loose’ NF membrane offered poor and variable compound removal. Fouling and the presence of organic matter likely contributed to higher rejections of EDCs and PhACs by the membranes.